Zip Code Day

Zip Code Day is celebrated every July 1st. Since the late 1960s, post offices have used zip codes for different regions of the United States. An advertising campaign was launched, for which Mr. Zip became the mascot, encouraging people to use the new codes. Another element of the campaign was the distribution of over 72,000,000 postcards informing people of their new zip code.

History

Postcodes now seem to be a normal thing, but this was not always the case – in the recent past, they did not exist at all. In England, London and Liverpool were the first to be divided into specific sectors with postcodes. In the 1920s, towards the end of the First World War, this system began to spread to other countries. In some countries, a postal code is also called a PIN. In some places, this system has not taken root, such as in Ghana, the Bahamas, Yemen, Botswana, Fiji, and other regions.

The division of the territory of the United States and the assignment of postal codes began in the 1960s. This was necessary to speed up the home delivery of mail, because it was previously noted that letters and parcels found the addressee faster if, in addition to the address, they indicated postal codes.

Today, the use of the postal code system has long gone beyond its original purpose, as it includes the collection of geographical statistics, Internet mail routing, credit card authorization, identification of legislative districts, places of work, insurance, and much more. The term “zip code” was registered by the United States Postal Service. Starting in 1967, it became mandatory for double-deck mailboxes to use this system.

Interesting facts

• The inventor of the postal code system was a postal clerk with 20 years of experience, Robert A. Moon;
• Zip in zip code literally means ‘Zone Improvement Plan’;
• Zip’s mascot was originally designed for Chase Manhattan Bank back in the 1950s, but AT&T bought the design and used it in their campaign.

How to take part

Zip Code Day is best spent with family and friends. In honor of this unofficial holiday, you can bake a cake with your own postal code in icing or chocolate. You can also talk to your local government about creating a community event specifically for your own region’s zip code. Then this celebration can become massive and include a large number of competitions, entertainment, a parade, baking competitions, and more.

When is Zip Code Day Celebrated in 2022?

Zip Code Day is associated with the anticipation of happiness and joy. It is observed on July the 1st each year.

Observations